Matopos National Park, Zimbabwe Photograph by John Morrison   Southern Africa: Southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, and northern South Africa Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands   86,100 square miles (223,100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Pennsylvania and Tennessee combined Vulnerable

· Where Fire Gives Life
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Where Fire Gives Life

Like other savanna ecosystems, the Southern Africa Bushveld contains large areas of grasses with scattered trees. One of the forces that helps maintain this ecosystem is fire. Fires burn back trees, opening up space for new grass growth and providing a critical food source for great numbers of grazing animals--from antelope to elephants to rhinos. Some human activities reduce the occurrence of fire and thereby reduce the region's diversity and number of wild species.

Special Features

The Southern Africa Bushveld covers a broad, undulating plateau in southeastern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, and northeastern South Africa. Included in the region are the Waterberg Mountains, which rise to heights of 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1200 to 1500 m). The climate of the region is similar to that of all savannas: hot, wet summers followed by cool, dry winters. Those dry months play a key part in the occurrence of fire, creating a fuel load of dry grasses that burns easily.

	Once cheetahs make a kill, vultures, hyenas, and other animals move in quickly to try to steal a meal. So cheetahs have adapted by being speedy swallowers and eating as much as 30 pounds (14 kg) in one sitting!

Wild Side

Over half of southern Africa is savanna, including this ecoregion. It is home to many of Africa's best-known large mammals, including African wild dogs, cheetahs, and black rhinos--species that are either endangered or vulnerable. More than 467 bird species have been recorded in the area, including the endemic boulder chat. And of 140 reptiles, 29 are endemic, including the tiger thick-toed gecko, variegated wolf snake, and Kalahari worm lizard.

Cause for Concern

Many small areas of natural habitat in this ecoregion have been protected to support the ecotourism industry. One of the greatest threats to the biodiversity of this region is cattle ranching. Cattle ranchers often hunt natural predators to protect their livestock. Cattle also overgraze the savanna, reducing the grasses that help fuel fires and causing soil erosion. Another threat is urban expansion from the Pretoria-Witwatersrand Vereeniging complex in South Africa. Increasing political instability in Zimbabwe may threaten national parks and private wildlife conservancies.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.